And, speaking of tunnels, we realized we were once again in Italy when we were met with tunnel after tunnel. These Italians are quite the engineers. If we weren't going through tunnels for the most part we were going over bridges. Sure makes for some interesting driving!
After three days of driving through France and Italy we made it to Rome and had a day to get settled before the first contingency of family arrived. Here are Jeff, Denise, Connor and Hayden (aka The Livermore Glascos) right after picking them up at the airport.
Troupers that they were, after dropping the luggage in their apartment, off we went exploring. Our apartments were only a short distance to the Vatican so that was our first stop. Talk about timing. Just as we arrived at St. Peter's Square who should be addressing the crowd but the Pope himself! Yes, that little white dot in the window is none other than the Pope.
Not bad, huh?
As we had tours set up to see the Vatican and Ancient Rome the following days, we decided to get an overview by taking the Hop On Hop Off bus. It was great particularly since it was unbelievably hot!
The combination of no sleep, jet lag and a really great dinner finally caught up though and it was time to call it a day.
The next morning, while the Livermore contingency slept in, Dale and I headed back to the airport to pick up the last of the family to arrive - our granddaughter, Madelyn.
Again, it was drop the luggage in the apartment and set out to see the sights.
We covered a lot of ground. In addition to cruising around on the Hop On Hop Off bus we took in the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Jewish Quarter and Piazza Navona.
After a bit of a rest in the late afternoon ,we met up with the Livermore Glascos for dinner near Piazza Navona. It was a magical night. Not only was the food spectacular but the scenery was amazing. We sat outside and this was our view while chowing down on some of the best pasta ever!
And, to top it all off, we sauntered around the corner to the Piazza Navona for some tartuffo. This dessert should be called death by chocolate - it's a ball of incredibly dark, rich chocolate ice cream covered in incredibly dark, rich chocolate. Oh so good but we were all in sugar comas afterward.
Our next day started with a tour of the Vatican. We were in excellent hands with our very knowledgeable guide, Cinzia. We started early in the morning before the crowds and the heat of the day (we were dealing with 100+ temps - not fun) and were able to see the museum,
St. Paul's Cathedral
and, of course, the Sistine Chapel.
Then it was time for lunch and Cinzia suggested a restaurant not far from the Vatican where we not only had divine gnocchi but ran into some friends, Butch and Gail Winslow, who were also vacationing with family in Rome. Talk about a small world!
One more day in Rome and we spent it again with Cinzia touring the Ancient City. As you can see by the umbrellas we were again dealing with sweltering heat so we got a very early start.
The added bonus to that early start was the crowds hadn't hit yet so we got to take it all in without the mad rush of other tourists. It's hard to believe that these structures, over 2,000 years old, are not only still standing but exist in the middle of a very vibrant city!
Our afternoon was spent touring Le Domas Romane at the Palazzo Valentini. If you have plans on visiting Rome I strongly recommend this place. I happened upon this site while searching for something to do inside during the heat of the afternoon. While I don't have any pictures, trust me when I say it was one of the highlights of Rome not only for the adults but for the kids as well.
But our time in Rome is now over and we are off to Florence. On our way we stopped in Assisi to see the wonderful frescoes in St. Francis of Assisi's church done by Giotto.
We also enjoyed just roaming around the very quaint walled city.
So, as they say in Italy . . . . arrivederci, caio. See you in Florence!
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